Category Archives: miniature shoppe

Bunnies and more bunnies

Last year I worked on an Easter themed roombox but it did not get totally DONE until about a month past Easter. Needless to say it didn’t seem timely to share it then in the blog so late BUT I can now (and would appear ahead of time if I hadn’t filled you in)!

I love spring with the changing of the dab browns of winter into green.   Nature’s wake up call!  So Easter themed sweets with bunnies and pastels was always on the list. This is a photo of a setup a few years ago with a couple of the baskets that now reside in the roombox.  The doll is by Loretta Kasza and the dog by Leslie Frick.

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A vignette for Spring in 2017

For me, what color to build around is the biggest hurdle to begin a project. This time a glance at a pile of odds and ends was the catalyst. A leftover piece of soft yellow tile drew my eye.  There was enough for the flooring. Yipee!  Digging around in the scrapbook papers (this isn’t a large room) lead to a coordinating diamond pattern that would work with it.   My photo isn’t translating the nice colors but they are soft and pastel.

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The color scheme beginning

My box itself was a small shop kit with a top opening.  I wanted the inside to be more accessible and visible so the front facade with paned window and a door was changed to a glass front but kept the side window.  I wanted a hint of a shop but not the reality.

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Original front
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A glass front allowed better visibility of my Easter treats
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A hint of a shop
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Metal finding added some interesting detail

I had a wall shelving unit from Reutter Porzellan.  I have used them before and like the flexible shelving and the mirrored center.  It fit the box perfectly and the back wall of the shelves pops out (I think it is so you can change out the wallpaper if it is not to your liking).  I just left them off so my room wallpaper was the background for it. I picked up the soft tan brown tone from the wallpaper to paint the shelving. I was on a roll and added pastel polka dot paper to the doors and painted the trim framing a robin egg blue.

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Original Shelving
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Repainted and tweaked
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Doors further embellished

I have had the Peter Rabbit  figure for a really long time.  He wasn’t expensive ( I got a couple – a good thing -I have never seen them for sell again ).  I really thought I would have used him somewhere before now but they never worked into a scene until now. He is the perfect ambassador for presenting a tray of Easter cookies!

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An ornament of some kind?
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Care to try a nibble of my cookies?

The little vagabond rabbit vignette is another treasure that never looked right for a scene until now! It looks like it was specifically made for this room.  It even  inspired me to try to make one, so the chicks and umbrella vignette sits beside it.

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Chicks and bunnies abound

Of course, an offering of cake is always welcome.  The egg braid cake is by Ann Caesar. A couple from the counter includes a rich chocolate cake by Betty Accola and a decorative feast by Ruth Stewart.

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A Easter tradition in miniature
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Not your average cakes!

I will admit some of the fillers come from my Easter line from my website.  I do better when I have a need or purpose in mind when creating products.  So at times there is an overlap.  I try not to do it too often or this blog just becomes a long advertisement.  The taller cabinet is a kit and the cookies are made from my cookie shapers. I wanted more foods and cookie trays were the ticket.  I enjoyed the cookie making adventure so I made plenty!

The counter top displays an abundance of bunny themed sweets.  The basket on the far end is by Betinha Murta.  I brought it last year at Chicago International even though I really didn’t need another filler but it was so cute! Therefore it had to have a spot on the counter top.

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Betinha Murta’s Easter basket
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My bunny shaped candy boxes

Not all the details are expensive – just keep your mind open to the possibilities.  The bunny “nest” is from a package of scrapbooking embellishments with a revamped miniature use.  Possibly could be used again for a Christmas, Halloween, or other holiday treat???   With grandchildren now, the tiny rubber animals found in the bins near the plastic toy animal figurines hold an interest.  That is where the bunny in the basket came from. Here he is surrounded by his friends awaiting a possible toy shop or children’s nursery setting.  They were all around a $1 each.

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The bunny “nest”
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Bunny and pals

The main counter and its side companion were fun to fill with cookies and other goodies. I painted them the same robin egg color to coordinate well together.

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Bunnies and more bunnies
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I did like making cookie trays as you can see.

I have pulled out the bits and pieces that make up the shop to show the detail because it is FULL and too overwhelming in a flat photo.

I may have to truly take a head count of the bunnies in the roombox because I am beginning to ponder that question now that I am relooking at the photos.  Or is there truth to the saying “reproducing like rabbits”?

So I hope you have enjoyed the SMALL tour  in the shop and inspires you to hop into a bunny theme project of your own.

Jewel Box Sweet Shoppe part 2

Here is a closeup of the cabinet.  Carl designed it and was part of the shoppe class. It is a very nice display cabinet for foods.  Anne Caesar from the Kitchen Captive made the cookies on the cake stand and boxed ones on the right side of the shelf.  The boxes are mine,  named Old Castle boxes(not the most creativity title).  They are great fillers.

cabinet

On the third shelf are my clover boxes filled with meringues that I made.  The boxed rose candies are beads but look great as molded chocolates.  The belingot container on the left is a favorite. The subtle coloring of the bonbons always draw my eye to them.

side view

 

Jewel Box Sweet Shoppe part 1

Here is more photos of the previously mentioned shop.  With an open side and no roof it allowed all the individual foods to be visible and not hidden in the shadows.  All the bits that I had treasured have a home! So many treasures and memories tied to them.

interior 1

I loved the wicker table.  I recolored the table top to blend better to its companion pieces. I created the doilies.  Draped doilies always seem to add elegance and warmth, at least to me.  The cabinet on the right was from Philly show a few years ago.  Brought it on a whim but had no immediate home for it BUT now it is looks perfect in here.

closeup of window

The tiered wire stand allows the individual foods to shine.  Love  miniature foods especially the sweets.  Yummy without the guilty pounds!

Refocus

I started this blog about a year ago and really just let it set idle.  I think the problem was no set purpose to the blog.  I wanted to share some of my thrill of creating miniatures, I just didn’t have a clear vision how to present it. The internet has allowed people to share far and wide.  It has became our community. Due to all the inspirations I have found helpful, I want to give back some of that.

  I love the journey from a mere idea to a captured mini version of some object or scene. I relive the journey when I look at it, all the time spent making it or all the things I have purchased to fill it.  Perfect contentment.

I took a class from Carl Bronsdon at a NAME convention in 2014.  It was a structure that captured a beautiful facade but allowed you to really see the  inside well.  One side and roof is absent so the detail of my minis really shine.jewel box sweet shoppe front